VBScript GetAllResponseHeaders Method
last modified April 9, 2025
The GetAllResponseHeaders method in VBScript is part of the
XMLHTTP object. It retrieves all HTTP response headers as a single
string. This includes status lines, content-type, server info, and other
headers. It's commonly used in web scraping and API interaction scripts.
GetAllResponseHeaders returns headers in name:value pairs separated
by CRLF. The method provides valuable debugging and inspection capabilities. This
tutorial covers GetAllResponseHeaders with practical examples to
demonstrate its usage.
GetAllResponseHeaders Method Overview
The GetAllResponseHeaders method requires a successful HTTP request
first. It returns all headers as a string with each header on a new line. The
method is available through the XMLHTTP or ServerXMLHTTP
objects in VBScript.
Key features include complete header visibility and simple string output format.
It doesn't modify or filter the headers in any way. GetAllResponseHeaders
works after the request completes successfully. Understanding this method helps
debug web requests and process server responses.
Basic Header Retrieval
This example demonstrates the simplest use of GetAllResponseHeaders
to fetch headers from a web request. It shows how to make a basic HTTP request
and then retrieve all response headers. The headers are displayed in their raw
format.
Set http = CreateObject("MSXML2.XMLHTTP")
http.Open "GET", "https://example.com", False
http.Send
allHeaders = http.GetAllResponseHeaders()
WScript.Echo allHeaders
Set http = Nothing
The script creates an XMLHTTP object and makes a synchronous GET
request. After sending the request, it calls GetAllResponseHeaders.
The output shows all HTTP headers returned by the server. Each header appears on
a new line in the format "Name: Value".
Parsing Specific Headers
This example shows how to extract specific headers from the complete header string. It demonstrates processing the header data to find particular values. The script searches for the Content-Type and Server headers.
Set http = CreateObject("MSXML2.XMLHTTP")
http.Open "GET", "https://example.com", False
http.Send
allHeaders = http.GetAllResponseHeaders()
headersArray = Split(allHeaders, vbCrLf)
For Each header In headersArray
If InStr(header, "Content-Type:") > 0 Then
WScript.Echo "Content Type: " & Mid(header, 14)
End If
If InStr(header, "Server:") > 0 Then
WScript.Echo "Server: " & Mid(header, 8)
End If
Next
Set http = Nothing
The script splits the header string into an array using CRLF as delimiter. It then searches for specific headers and extracts their values. This approach allows processing individual headers from the complete response. The output shows only the targeted header information.
Comparing Headers Between Requests
This example demonstrates comparing headers from two different requests. It shows
how GetAllResponseHeaders can help analyze server behavior. The
script fetches headers from two URLs and displays them side by side.
Set http1 = CreateObject("MSXML2.XMLHTTP")
Set http2 = CreateObject("MSXML2.XMLHTTP")
http1.Open "GET", "https://example.com", False
http2.Open "GET", "https://example.org", False
http1.Send
http2.Send
WScript.Echo "Example.com headers:" & vbCrLf & http1.GetAllResponseHeaders()
WScript.Echo vbCrLf & "Example.org headers:" & vbCrLf & http2.GetAllResponseHeaders()
Set http1 = Nothing
Set http2 = Nothing
The script creates two HTTP requests to different domains. After receiving responses, it retrieves and displays headers from both. This comparison helps identify differences in server configurations. The output clearly separates headers from each response for easy analysis.
Handling Redirect Headers
This example shows how to detect redirects using response headers. It demonstrates checking for Location headers that indicate redirects. The script follows redirects manually by examining header values.
url = "http://example.com" ' Some URL that redirects
Set http = CreateObject("MSXML2.XMLHTTP")
http.Open "GET", url, False
http.Send
allHeaders = http.GetAllResponseHeaders()
If InStr(allHeaders, "Location:") > 0 Then
WScript.Echo "Redirect detected to: " & http.getResponseHeader("Location")
Else
WScript.Echo "No redirect, final URL: " & url
End If
WScript.Echo "All headers:" & vbCrLf & allHeaders
Set http = Nothing
The script checks the headers for a Location header indicating a redirect. If found, it displays the target URL; otherwise, it shows the original URL. This technique helps understand and debug HTTP redirect behavior. The complete headers are also displayed for reference.
Logging Headers to File
This example demonstrates saving response headers to a log file. It shows how to persist header information for later analysis. The script writes headers along with timestamp to a text file.
Set http = CreateObject("MSXML2.XMLHTTP")
Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
http.Open "GET", "https://example.com", False
http.Send
logFile = "headers_log.txt"
Set file = fso.OpenTextFile(logFile, 8, True) ' 8 = ForAppending
file.WriteLine "=== Headers at " & Now & " ===")
file.WriteLine http.GetAllResponseHeaders()
file.WriteLine "=== End of Headers ===" & vbCrLf)
file.Close
WScript.Echo "Headers logged to " & logFile
Set http = Nothing
Set fso = Nothing
The script appends headers to a log file with timestamps for each request. This creates a historical record of server responses. The FileSystemObject handles file operations while XMLHTTP manages the web request. The output confirms successful logging of the headers.
Source
In this article, we have explored the GetAllResponseHeaders method
in VBScript, covering its usage and practical applications. From basic header
retrieval to advanced logging and analysis, these examples demonstrate the
method's versatility. With this knowledge, you can enhance your web scripting
capabilities with detailed header inspection.
Author
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